Chapter 11

Sabrina dressed carefully for the business meeting, knowing it was another opportunity to show herself off to Nathan and remind him of how well they fit together.

They dated a few years ago in college, and immediately became the university’s power couple. And the relationship had been serious enough to begin considering marriage.

But Nathan’s lack of status had convinced Sabrina to turn him down when he proposed.

She told him it was because they would only be chosen mates, rather than sharing the deeper bond of fated mates.

But the truth was, without any status or power, Sabrina hadn’t seen Nathan as someone worthy of her.

Now things were different. Nathan was an incredibly powerful Alpha, with a good shot at winning the presidency.

And Sabrina wanted him back.

If only that stupid wolfless Omega would get out of her way.

But Sabrina’s interactions with Nathan had become increasingly strained.

Every time she tried to talk about their past, to remind him of the good times, he changed the subject. And every time she mentioned rekindling that relationship, he shot her down.

It was beyond irritating at this point. It was insulting. Becoming the First Luna shouldn’t be this hard!

As she applied her makeup with a steady, practiced hand, Sabrina fumed. Looking in the mirror, she saw a coldly beautiful woman, one who knew how to use her looks to advantage.

Add in the fact that she was actual royalty, and Nathan should have been falling at her feet.

Not only would marrying into the royal family increase his status, it would also grant him her father’s favor.

He needed both if he wanted to become Alpha President.

Finishing her makeup with a bold red lipstick, Sabrina rose and pulled out an equally bright red skirt suit from her closet, complete with killer high heels. She was angry, frustrated, and in the mood to put together a knockout look.

She wanted to turn heads today. Especially Nathan’s.

Sabrina made sure she sat at Nathan’s left hand at the table. She made a point of being beside him any time they were in public, to cement the image of them as a couple in the public’s eye.

“Good afternoon, Nathan,” she said as she sat, admiring his well-cut suit. And the way he filled it out. “You look very handsome today.”

“Thank you,” Nathan said. “And thank you for attending this meeting. I know you have a busy schedule.”

She laughed and batted his arm. “Nonsense, darling. Helping you secure the presidency is my main priority.”

Reaching over, she adjusted his tie, enjoying how wifely the task felt. “You need a woman beside you through all of this, Nathan. Someone who knows the ins and outs of diplomacy, and can be an asset to you.”

Nathan smiled briefly, without humor. The mention of a woman, the implication yet again that he should be married, brought an image of Claire to mind. One he had to push away with effort.

“I can manage on my own, thank you,” he said, leaning away from her hands.

Sabrina worked to keep her expression calm. She was so tired of Nathan rejecting her!

Nathan greeted everyone gathered in the room. It was a small meeting, consisting of his Beta Evan and a few top trusted members of the pack.

“Thank you all for coming. I’d like to discuss my platform, especially regarding diplomatic policies. We need a clear, strong message if we’re going to win this election.”

Sabrina tuned out the discussion, already well-versed in the policies Nathan wanted to base his campaign on.

Not that they mattered - he should just say and promise whatever people needed to hear in order to get himself into office.

Nathan worried about morals and ethics far too much, in her opinion. And it kept him focused on business, instead of more important personal matters.

Noticing a coffee service in the corner of the room, Sabrina rose and fetched two cups of coffee, making both light and sweet the way she and Nathan liked it.

Yet another small wifely duty she could perform for Nathan, to make him think of her as someone more than a business associate. It was a bonus to do it in front of a group of people as well, hopefully planting more seeds that they were actually together.

Nathan thanked her for the coffee she set in front of him, but when he took a sip he made a small face and set it back down. He didn’t like it.

Irritated, Sabrina waited until the business portion of the meeting concluded and everyone was standing around chatting. Then she approached Nathan’s Beta, Evan.

“I didn’t seem to make the Alpha’s coffee right earlier. I thought he took it with cream and sugar. Did I make a mistake?”

Evan chuckled. “Nobody can make that man’s coffee perfectly. Well, except Claire. She always seemed to get it just right.”

Sabrina gritted her teeth. “Did she? How interesting.”

The wolfless, yet again. Couldn’t she go a single day without hearing that stupid woman’s name?

Claire always took care of that.

Claire always handled those things.

That will be Claire’s responsibility when she comes back. Don’t worry about it.

Folding her arms over her chest, Sabrina watched Nathan in close discussion with two of his advisors, her eyes narrowed.

It was almost like…

Her eyes widened.

It was almost like Nathan actually cared for the Omega.

Even now that she was gone, now that she’d literally run away from him, the man still mentioned her multiple times a day.

He didn’t even seem to realize how much he talked about her.

How can that be? Sabrina thought to herself. How can he want her more than me?

The distaste Sabrina felt toward Claire flared up, and burned hotter. It was slowly, inevitably turning into something darker and stronger.

Something more like hate.

And it was more clear now than ever:

If Sabrina wanted to become First Luna, she needed to drive Claire out of the pack, and out of Nathan’s life for good.

Suddenly, Sabrina smiled to herself. She knew just what to do.

The next day, Sabrina arrived at the clinic for her appointment, settled into the waiting room. Normally she hated waiting, especially if it meant she’d have to sit in the same room as the lower-class pack members that also filled the space.

But today she felt too smug, too secure in her plan, to barely even notice.

She was here for a pre-pregnancy check-up, to make sure she was healthy and ready to carry a child.

Nathan’s child, specifically.

Once she seduced him and became pregnant, he’d have no choice but to forget about Claire and marry her instead.

And, as a bonus, she could send Andy off to some distant boarding school, getting the brat out of her hair.

“Is that new doctor working today?” a woman beside her asked the man sitting across from her.

“I hope so,” he answered. “I hear she’s a miracle worker!”

Sabrina had forgotten about the clinic’s newest doctor, the one her father insisted on seeing. She stood, about to go to the reception desk and demand an appointment with that doctor—after all, she deserved the best—when she saw Claire walk in with her friend Amelia.

So Sabrina marched over to Claire instead. Both she and Amelia froze at the sight of her, surprised when she approached them out of nowhere.

“So this is where you are, Omega. Hiding out in a public clinic with your trashy little friend.” She sneered at Amelia, a wolf who clearly didn’t know how to mind her station. Not if she spent time around someone so far beneath her.

Amelia took a step in front of Claire, ready to protect her friend. “Can I help you with something, Princess? Maybe show you where the door is?”

Sabrina ignored both Amelia’s sarcasm and Amelia herself, focusing on Claire.

“Not at all. I’m just here for a pre-pregnancy exam. Nathan and I are trying to have a baby, you see. We’re going to start a family.”

She stepped closer to Claire, lowering her voice so others couldn’t hear. “And you’ll be just a memory to Nathan. Just a stupid, worthless Omega with no place to go.”

Amelia gasped at my cruelty, and stepped back to put her arm around Claire. She expected her friend to be heartbroken at this betrayal.

But to her surprise, and Sabrina, Claire didn’t blush or look away or back down. Instead, she faced her with a cool confidence.

“If that’s true, then I hope you’ll be very happy together.”